How much does a cup of coffee really cost?

Coffee alone typically costs €0.10–0.18, depending on price per kg and dose. It's one of the highest-margin products at the bar: the cup-cost calculator gives the exact figure for your case.

How many cups from a kg of coffee?

With a 7–8 g espresso dose you get about 120–140 cups per kg. Reducing the dose increases cups but can worsen extraction and in-cup quality.

What's the right espresso brew ratio?

The classic reference is 1:2 (e.g. 9 g of grounds for 18 g in the cup) in about 25–30 seconds. Specialty and ristretto vary: use the espresso ratio calculator to dial it in.

Calcoli HoReCa — Coffee

Coffee Calculators

Espresso ratio, grind size, cold brew, tea dosage and coffee yield calculators.

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The recommended path

1
Set the right coffee dose.
Coffee dosage
2
Dial in the brew ratio.
Espresso ratio
3
Calculate the real cup cost.
Espresso cup cost
4
Check the yield per kg of coffee.
Coffee yield

When to use these calculators

Use these tools to dial in extraction (dose, ratio, grind), calculate yield per kg and, above all, the real cost of a cup. At the bar, coffee is an extremely high-margin product at a very low unit price: the profit is made on volume and precise yield from each kg.

Practical examples by venue type

Traditional bar

You calculate the cup cost from the price per kg and the dose: often under 15 cents, with huge margins.

Specialty coffee

You set brew ratio and grind for repeatable extractions and calculate yield per method.

Café

You compare yield per kg across suppliers to pick the best quality/cup-cost ratio.

Cold brew

You dose water and coffee for cold brew and calculate its yield for the summer menu.

Reference benchmarks

Espresso dose7–9 gSingle; 14–18 g double.

Espresso brew ratio1:2E.g. 9 g → 18 g in cup.

Cup cost€0.10–0.18Coffee only, excl. labour/sugar.

Cups per kg~120–140With a 7–8 g dose.

Indicative industry figures: they vary by format, location and period. Use them as a reference, not an absolute rule.

Common mistakes to avoid

Not calculating the real cup cost assuming 'coffee always pays': dose and price per kg change the margin a lot.
Eyeballing doses: 1–2 g per cup variance across thousands of coffees noticeably shifts yield per kg.
Ignoring waste (purges, burnt shots, tastings) in the real cost.
Underrating the upsell (cappuccino, pastry) that lifts the ticket on coffee.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a cup of coffee really cost?: Coffee alone typically costs €0.10–0.18, depending on price per kg and dose. It's one of the highest-margin products at the bar: the cup-cost calculator gives the exact figure for your case.
How many cups from a kg of coffee?: With a 7–8 g espresso dose you get about 120–140 cups per kg. Reducing the dose increases cups but can worsen extraction and in-cup quality.
What's the right espresso brew ratio?: The classic reference is 1:2 (e.g. 9 g of grounds for 18 g in the cup) in about 25–30 seconds. Specialty and ristretto vary: use the espresso ratio calculator to dial it in.